Inside Health

VITAL SIGNS: AT RISK

VITAL SIGNS: AT RISK; Linking Anxiety, Depression and Strokes

By Eric Nagourney

Published: January 29, 2002

Middle-aged men who suffer from psychological problems like depression and anxiety are much more likely to die of strokes than men who do not, a study reports. But they are no more likely to suffer nonfatal strokes.

The explanation can be only a matter of speculation, said the authors of the study, which appeared in the January issue of Stroke, the American Heart Association journal.

But they offer several theories.

One holds that the strokes suffered by men under psychological stress may simply be more serious. Another suggests that the men's mental state may make it harder for them to recover.

The article, whose lead author was Margaret May of the University of Bristol, is based on a long-term study of men in Caerphilly in Wales.

After observing the men and their health for 14 years, the researchers found that those whose survey answers indicated psychological distress were three times as likely to have fatal strokes as those not suffering the distress.

Psychological stress has long been linked to cardiovascular disease like strokes and heart problems. But the exact relationship remains murky.

No one knows whether anxiety or depression lead to the disease, whether it is the reverse or whether the same underlying neurological conditions cause all the problems.